The Third Prophecy
by Emily Black
Summary: Trewlaney makes another prophecy. This time it involves a certain professor and one of our favorite Gryffindors. RR please!
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Third Prophecy  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Pairing: SS/HG  
  
A/N: I had an idea for this story one day when I was up at my cottage. It just flowed right onto the page, so I hope you enjoy. I will try to update every two weeks. Maybe more, maybe less, depending on my homework and swim practices, along with when my beta can squeeze them in. Also, special thanks to larrytheguitar, my fabulous beta!  
  
Summary: Professor Trelawney makes another prediction. After Harry Potter defeats the Dark Lord, who is to take out the remaining Death Eaters? The girl in the prediction, that's who! But she is unsafe, as was Harry, until the time is right. And a certain Potions Master must finish his last assignment for the Order by protecting her. Contains death, adventure, action, romance, and even a bit of humor...so I know present to you:  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
It was Halloween night at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Everyone in the school was in the Great Hall enjoying a delicious meal that was a given at the Annual Halloween Feast. Everyone, that is, except two people.  
  
Professor Martha Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House, Herbology teacher, and the kindest witch in the school, was the first. Instead of at her usual spot at the head table next to Professor Flitwick and Madam Pomphery, tonight she could be found strolling down the halls, humming a little tune, and nonchalantly floating a tray of delicious-smelling food at her side.  
  
The second was none other than Sibyll Trelawney, Divinations teacher and the biggest old fraud at the school. She was never one to be out and about in the castle, and usually stuck to her solitary quarters in the North Tower. Many said it was because she liked the smell. Others thought that she was afraid to go out around too many people because the amount of fake death omens she would see would send her in to a right state of shock. A favorite of many Gryffindors was that she was up in her tower all day "seeing" new ways for Harry Potter to drop dead. But anyways, the old witch was alone in her tower on Halloween night when she heard a few noises from her trap door.  
  
After a moment of thinking out her newest vision of her own death, realizing (by way of Sprout calling up) that she was surely not going to be hit over the head with a frying pan by the kindly Hufflepuff, and opening the trap door, Professor Trelawney finally let Professor Sprout into the tower.  
  
"Why, hello, my dear," she said to the dumpy little witch, using her misty, faraway voice. "What brings you to this tower on Halloween night? Looking for a prediction? To see what the fates have in store?" The bug-like woman's eyes lit up as she tried to fake a vision.  
  
"Actually, Sibyll, I thought we could share some dinner so you wouldn't be so lonely," Martha said quickly, as if to stop out any fortune telling that could be a possibility that night. She may be nice, but not that nice. Martha set down the tray gently and settled into one of the chintz armchairs, Sibyll doing the same adjacent to her. The pair ate in silence for a moment, everything still and calm, until, out of the blue, the bug- like witch fell straight into her pot pie.  
  
"Oh dear," Sprout muttered, jumping up. She hadn't made it around the table when Trelawney snapped back up again. Sprout sat in shock as what had appeared to be unconscious woman began to speak in a harsh tone.  
  
"When the new year begins it reign, a powerful new force will be created within a single soul," the feeble beetle woman spoke. "This soul will belong to a student from this very school, an alumnus. The women will be indifferent to all except her protector. This protector will look over the savior until her power is developed, to keep her safe from all that are unsavory."  
  
Trelawney took a break in her speech, giving Sprout time to grab a quill and bewitch it to note everything that Trelawney was saying. This, she knew, was a real Prophecy, and a very vital one at that. The Headmaster would need the notation of what was said.  
  
Trelawney caught her breath and continued. "The protector will know who they are and what to do. All that the fates inform is that this protector must keep this savior of our world safe. This Prophecy will not be safe, and could easily fall into the wrong hands as several before have done. Keep the savior safe from harm."  
  
Trelawney ended her Prophecy suddenly by falling back into her pot pie. Sprout rushed over to her, quickly deactivating the quill. She shook the women's frail frame, but she did not come to. Sprout ran towards the door, grabbing her parchment. Meanwhile, at the Head Table, the school's Potions Master felt a sting of pain on his left forearm. Discreetly, he pulled back his sleeve. The Dark Mark that had been ever present was gone, and in its place was a script "P". He looked at it for a moment, then, as though remembering something that had been lost in Obliviate, Severus Snape had an epiphany. He knew what the marking meant, he knew what was expected. He knew...everything the Prophecy said he would. Moments later, a very distraught Professor Sprout burst in the doors. She had a terrified look on her face, and in her hand was a scroll. She ran until she reached the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. After delivering what Trelawney said, she fainted. Albus Dumbledore read the note in utter silence. Everyone in the hall had gone quiet, wondering what was wrong with the Herbology teacher and what Dumbledore was reading. After finishing, he looked up.  
  
"Students and staff," he said, immediately getting everyone's attention, "I will not lie to you. Something terrible has happened. Tonight, our Divinations teacher, Professor Trelawney, has passed." Several students gasped. "I hope that you all feel equally saddened, as I do, and further details will be provided later. That is all."  
  
Students looked at one another, shocked. Lavender Brown's younger sister, now in her seventh year, left the hall in tears. The heads of houses, Sprout being levitated on a stretcher, and Madam Pomphery left the hall, as did the headmaster, clutching the Prophecy. It was identical to what Trelawney had said, but at the end, it also read, "Unable to continue notation, speaker is deceased." 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing here except Dylon. I actually am not a huge RW/HG fan, but for this story it just...works. You'll see, it's all in my head right now.  
  
Title: The Third Prophecy  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Pairing: Severus Snape/Hermione Granger  
  
A/N: This took me so long to write because I had about ten different ways to approach this chapter and it took me a while to whittle it all down. I was so excited from all of my reviews that I worked on it right away, then couldn't decide how to make things work out, so I stopped writing for a while, then school go hectic, so yeah. Pity me!  
  
Also, I unfortunately didn't have this chapter beta read because I wanted to get it up soon, now that it's finally typed, and I'm sure my beta, larrytheguitar, has a long list of things to do before betaing this, so it isn't probably as good as the first chapter. But here it is...  
  
In a shabby flat in London, a woman paced back and forth, a wailing baby in her arms. Trying to calm her son, she began to sing.  
  
"Sleep, baby, sleep. Your father tends the sheep. Your mother's pickin' another dream from the dreamland tree," Hermione Weasley-Granger cooed to her son. Dylon, her only son, was still in a right state. His face was almost as red as the hair atop his head. Hermione ran her fingers through the red wisps of baby fluff hair, and as the words spilled from her lips, so did the tears from her eyes.  
  
Eventually, the babe hushed, and Hermione softly laid him down to rest in his small, rickety cradle. She herself then collapsed into the nearest chair, sobbing silently. It had been a full year to the day since the Final Battle, when Ron had died. A whole year without her best friend, her baby's father, and without a true smile on her lips. She had lost several friends in the battle, and yet nothing hit her as hard as Ron. For she had kept a secret from him, and now it was burning to get out of her.  
  
Hermione continued to sob, trying to remain soundless to keep Dylon asleep. Deep hiding in her heart, she felt so much guilt. There was the unbearable guilt of not being there with her friends to take on the most dreadful adversary of all. The day Harry and Ron left to finish the fight, she, under their orders, was locked in her flat to keep her unborn child safe. She remembered so quickly how she had spent hours and hour banging on the door, screaming to be let free to help.  
  
Second pressing on her heart was the guilt for keeping something from Ron. She should have told him back in their seventh year she didn't really love him, but with all of the pressure from the Weasleys, Harry, and Ron himself, she couldn't bring herself to do it, and ended up somehow engaged to someone she felt no feelings for past deep friendship. The thing that tore her the most was Ginny Weasley, who she saw clearly in her mind, grinning and saying, "I'm so glad you love my brother, Mione. Who knows, we could be sisters someday!" How did she let it happen, though?  
  
Suddenly, a gong cut into her thoughts, and she automatically looked at the clock, recognizing the sound. She was going to be late for work again if she didn't get a move on.  
  
"Damn," she muttered to herself, pulling herself out of the chair. She made her way to the other half of the one-room flat where her things were stuffed into a dilapidated wardrobe, throwing things aside trying to find a clean robe. A moment later, a crackle was heard, and Hermione spun to see a red head pulling herself out of the fire, a genuine smile painted on her lips.  
  
"Hello, Ginny, dear," she called, straightening out her robes and walking over to greet her sister-in-law, and trying overly hard to sound normal. She grabbed her traveling cloak and pulled it on, forcing a smile and politely inquiring, "How's Harry?"  
  
Ginny looked up from where she was gazing down to Ron's firstborn and smiled. "Oh, he's fine," she said with a smile. Hermione took a moment to wonder if Ginny had looked at a calendar, or if the rest of the world had moved on and she was stuck replaying the past, like a broken record.   
  
Brushing those thoughts aside, Hermione "smiled" back and said hastily, "I'd better be off, then. See you after work, I suppose." She gave one last look to her child and with a small pop, she was gone.  
  
~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~  
  
Meanwhile, at a familiar Scottish castle and institution of magical learning, the stones that were used at the hard dungeon floor in the Potions office were getting a deal more worn that the normally composed Potions Master paced back and forth. He knew what he had to do, that was easily provided for him in the form of a marvelous epiphany, he just couldn't for the hell of him figure out why.   
  
Why was Hermione Granger, know-it-all Gryffindor, the one to save the magical world from the hell that could become of it? Why was he graced as the only one, of course excluding Professors McGonagall, Sprout, and Dumbledore, and possibly Miss Granger herself, to know this information? Why was he, after all he had helped before, after all the hell he had paid, been the one to get stuck with this burden? And why did her have to waste his valuable time babysitting a grown woman?  
  
Over the hours, Severus began to formulate answers for the questions his mind kept asking itself, with the aid of his select stock brandy and way too much time spent alone. Surely, to him, the answers made sense, no matter how far off they might have been, or how close they really were.  
  
As to why Hermione was to be their savior, it only made sense to the irony of the world. First their was James Potter, and his friends, Lupin and Black, heroically getting the glory for their little deeds. Next came Potter, saving witches and wizards everywhere countless times from the terror of Voldemort. Then, pathetic Weasley gave his life, and if rumor was correct, left Miss Granger with the burdens of widow and single mother. But he couldn't feel much sympathy for her, for in a few months time, she would be basking in the limelight like all her little friends.  
  
Not that Miss Granger couldn't have had the limelight from the beginning, of course. Severus knew that she was exceptionally bright, obviously patient to put up with Longbottom all those years, and she deserved much better than the fools she had for friends. But it was her own choice whether to pursue her dreams or let them fall away, and to Severus, it was quite clear which she chose.  
  
Then, of course, why he was burdened with not only the information, but the tasks themselves, was because the universe was against him. He had pondered it before, and it was all that made sense. Nobody's life should ever be as hellish as his, and everyday it seemed worse. So this just went along to make him miserable to the point of death.  
  
He supposed that the whole protection thing sort of made sense. Certainly Miss Granger could handle herself in a duel, but if twenty Death Eaters showed up at her door, it would be quite difficult for her to keep herself and the baby safe.  
  
Eventually, he let the thoughts just slip away and his mind went numb from the brandy as he drifted into a deep sleep in one of the armchairs in his office, the fire dying out as the night turned slowly to day.  
  
A/N: Did this take me long enough or what? I am truly sorry, I have had half written for a few weeks, but I wanted to end it right, and this is how it came out. I'm sure it could be better, but you never know. Swimming ends in three weeks, so after that, I should have more time for my stories, and I am trying to treat them all fairly, I'll do my best! Thanks to all who reviewed the first chapter, notes to you here:  
  
Calliandra~ Thanks, that means a lot. My plot still has a bit to be worked over all, but overall, I think it's turning out okay. Is this chapter keeping the plot moving well do you think?  
  
Porthos the Pirate~ Gee, in the time it took me to write this, you must have died, gone to heaven, and been up there for quite a while, because I am a slow writer. Sorry I didn't get to it sooner, it's been almost two months! So sorry, and I hope this makes up for it a bit.  
  
Tracey Claybon~ Yes, I believe Trelawney deserved to go exactly the way she did! Thanks for the review.  
  
piper~ Well, this is asap, so sorry about the wait on your end. More soon, I hope!  
  
Master of Sarcasm~ Thanks bunchs! I love your pen name, by the way. No more about dear late Trelawney here, sorry to disappoint you. Kidding!  
  
AdoraVampiress~ Sweet! I'm on your author alert. Now you know that this chapter's out. That was a really pointless thing to say on my part, but I'm still glad you like so far.  
  
Silent Cobra~ Glad my attention grabbers worked. Thanks for the review.  
  
Angelina-Malfoy~ Gee, I must be good at sparking the attention or something, you are like the third person to say that. I hope you still want to read after this chapter.  
  
Emma-Kitty~ Glad you think so. Thanks for the great review, you rock my socks!  
  
The-Rogue-Thorn~ I'm glad you think it's cool. It got more "angsty" this chapter, so I hope it sounds okay.  
  
joani~ I finally (emphasis on finally) kept going. Sorry for the wait and thanks for the review.  
  
Brie Black~ Thanks for reading, and like I said before, I did finally keep going, even if it took me forever!  
  
~Emily 


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